Shifting and switching mechanism for a ring rail



Jan. 29, 1963 H. LOHYEST ET Al. 3,075,342

SHIFTING AND SWITCHING MECHANISM FOR A RING RAIL Filed July 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS= HANS LOHEST SIEGFRIED ANTRECHT GERD ARTU BECKER 1963 H. LOHEST 'ET AL 3,075,342

SHIFTING AND SWITCHING MECHANISM FOR A RING RAIL Filed July 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFIGZ Q INVENTORS: HANS LOHEST SIEGFRIED ANTRECH-T BgERD ARTUR BECKER Mus-n AT 'YS United States Patent 3,075,342 SHIFTING AND SWITCHING MECHANISM FOR A RING RAIL Hans Lohest and Siegfried Antrecht, Remscheid-Lennep,

and Gerd Artur Becker, Wipperfurth, Rhineland, Germany, assignors to Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktrenges, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen, Germany Filed July 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,116 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 1, 1960 6 Claims. (Cl. 57-54) This invention relates to shifting and switching mechanism operable with a mechanical lever system for recipro-v eating and lowering beyond its traverse-motion range a ring bank of a ring twist machine, especially a stretch ring twist machine.

' In these machines, as is well known, it is essential that the filaments wound in the main winding be in a fully stretched state. Unstretched or incompletely stretched lengths of filaments appear at the beginning of the twisting operation, especially after a spool change, and they are accumulated alongside the main winding on the spool on an auxiliary winding surface, so that these filaments can then be easily removed as waste. For this purpose, ring twist machines have already been proposed in which both the traverse movement of the rings during the main winding and also the further lowering of the ring bench beyond the main winding traverse zone are imparted and controlled by mechanical means over a lever system.

f Now the demand has risen in industry that the filament delivery to the ring twist machines be uninterrupted during spool change on the ring twist machineslbecause time lost in resetting and rethreading of the yarn or filaments,

when delivery is stopped, is disproportionate economicala.

ly to the amount of filament lost by accumulation in uninterrupted delivery during the simple'interchanging of. spools.

Moreover, in twisting operations on ring twist ma-.

cihines it is a known practice to provide the finished wind-- ing with a so-called transfer tail, which is wound in afew windings prior to the main winding outside the traverse range proper of the ring bench during the main winding but on the same spool which carries the winding. The

transfer tail is tied to the free end of the next winding in. For this purpose, essentially similarly arranged shifting and switch the further processing as a timesaving measure.

ing devices are used.

" In further development of such arrangement, this invention' provides a shifting and switching mechanism which in a simple manner combines the two operations of winding the waste and also the transfer tail, each individually, without interrupting the filament delivery for the spool change in normal operation. This shifting and switching device has a movable auxiliary mechanism controlling the lowering and restoring movement of the ring bench. This member is driven by an auxiliary motor.

Limit switches are provided, which switch off the motor,

drive of the auxiliary member in the one or the other direction of movement of said member upon its reaching a predetermined position. The control circuit of the auxiliary motor has automatic means for the interruption,

of the current flow for a short period of time so that the restoring movement of the ring bank by the auxiliary for a period to provide the transfer.

member is stopped tailwinding.

' positions.

The auxiliary mechanism controlling the lowering and restoring movement of the ring bench may be a movable block driven across a threaded spindle between two end Two end switches, upon contact by the block, automatically switch off the drive of the threaded spindle in the one direction and also in the other, opposite turning direction. The automatic means for temporarily breaking the motor drive circuit may be two time relays with parallel-wired solenoid windings, wired in such a way that the contact of the one relay opens the control circuit for the auxiliary motor at a predetermined point of time and the contact of the other closes the control circuit likewise at a predetermined point of time. Finally, in the shiftingwand switching device, a counter mechanism can be provided which, after the achieving of a predetermined number of traverse strokes, automatically energizes the auxiliary motor. As auxiliary motor a brake motor expediently is used.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, which is a perspective view of a segment of a ring-twist machine and the shifting and switching mechanism under the control of an auxiliary mechanism shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a control circuit for the motor in FIG. 1.

' The ring bench 1, on which are mounted the twist rings 2, is carried by a vertically slidable stroke rod 3. The rod 3, in turn, is coupled by a shoe 4 against a rod 5 on an arm 6 of an angle lever 7. The angle lever 7 is mounted on a rotatably journalled shaft 8. To the other arm 9 of the angle lever 7 is attached an end of a chain 10. The chain 10 is conducted over a deflection roller 8, and its other end is attached to a pivot arm 11. This pivot arm 11, in its operating position, ordinarily is driven by the main drive 12 of the machine, as, for example a cam 13 operable on cam follower roller 14 to provide the shift stroke, towhich there may be allocated another cam or'other means (not shown) for the basic stroke. The pivot arm 11 is mounted on shaft 15 and can be lowered.

. to a position whereby its roller 14 is beyond the contact range of cam 13. This is the drawing. i The arm 9 or another lever arm 16, which is fixedly mounted on shaft 8, has attached thereto a tension spring position represented in the 17. A weight load attached to the arm by a cable line may be used instead of the spring, if desired. A connecting rod 18, which is connected at its otherend to an adjacent segment of the ring bench, is pivotally attached to arm 16 (or arm 9, if desired) and transmits the traverse and control movements to other stroke rods 3 by a similar mechanical linkage to that described above.

' According to the invention, another lever arm 19 is of rotation of the spindle 24. The threaded spindle 24'is journalled in the two bearings 25 and 26 interconnected by the rod 23. The spindle 24 is driven by a reversible electric motor 27 via the belt 28 and the pulleys 29 and30. Limit switches 31 and 32 are mounted on the bearings 25 and 26, respectively. These switches may be mounted for the purpose of adjusting the setting of the end positions of traverse movement of block 22. The auxiliary motor 27, preferably designed as a brake motor, is equipped with a double switch 33. It has a switch operated by the lift push button 34, upon operation of which the threaded spindle 24 is rotated by motor 27 in one direction, and a switch operated by the lower push button 35, upon operation of which the spindle is rotated in the opposite direction. In addition to the end switches 31 and 32, which are operated by contact of switch buttons 36 and 37 with the block 22 or with an interchangeable disc 38 mounted on top of the block 22 to switch off the auxiliary motor 27 at each end of reciprocal motion of block 22, there also may be provided a special safety stop switch for the auxiliary motor 27.

Also, according to the invention, special devices are arranged in the control circuit of the drive motor 27 of the threaded spindle for the interruption of the current flow, which respond automatically after a predetermined length of movement of the block 22. After a predetermined period of time of said interruption, current flow to the motor is resumed. For this purpose, the motor circuit has a switching device 39 with two adjustable time relays, whose solenoid windings are excited in timed sequence. In this arrangement, the contact of the one relay opens the control circuit for the drive motor at a predetermined point of time and the contact of the other relay closes the control circuit again, likewise at a predetermined point of time.

In the position illustrated, the machine is in its starting position, in which the ring bench is lowered over its traverse range into its lowest possible position and the full spools are being changed for empty spools. Here, the pivot arm 11 effecting the up-and-down movement is disengaged from the main drive mechanism 12, 13, which continues to run. During this time, the filaments continue to be delivered from a stretching mechanism (not illustrated) which is positioned over each spindle. The filaments, on their way through the twist ring to the spool 40, are wound on the auxiliary winding surface of a cylindrical surface 41, from which they can easily be removed as waste. This advantage becomes especially evident at the start of operation, where at first unstretched or incompletely stretched filaments are delivered. After the spool change, the motor 27 is energized by operation of the lift push button 34. The control block 22, which in this position serves as a lock forthe lever system 7, 16, 19, moves now to the right on the rotating spindle 24 and rod 23. The lever system follows in clockwise rotation under the urging of spring 17.

With the energizing of the motor 27, the time relays in the switching control device 39 become operative, and, after a predetermined movement of the block 22, breaks the motor circuit. After a predetermined time, the device 39 closes the motor circuit. During the time while the motor circuit is broken, the ring bench 1 is raisedtfar enough so that the filaments form in a few windings (serving as the transfer tail) onto the lower end 42 of the spool. After restorationof the motor drive, the control block 22 moves further to the right, the lever system follows again clockwise. In the process, the pivot arm 11 swings into the range of the cam 13. The cam 13 takes over the control of traverse motion, which it transmits over the lever system to the ring bench.

Simultaneously, in the movement of the block 22 to the right, the control rod 21 moves out of contact with the lever arm 19. The filaments are now, with usual traverse motion, wound on the spool 40. In the meantime, the block 22 with its disc 38 has run to the right and operated switch 32, whereupon motor 27 is deenergized.

When the spools are full, the operating personnel presses the lower push button 35, whereby the motor 27 is put in operation in the opposite direction of rotation. The control block 22 runs to the left, and in the process the control rod 21 again engages the lever arm 19 and thereby pushes the lever, system counterclockwise until the disc 38 on the block 22. contacts thelimit switch 31, which again deenergizes the motor 27 and establishes the predetermined starting position of the ring bench. While the new empty spool is being set in place, the filaments now again run onto the cylinder 41 and the further operation is then accomplished in the same sequence as described before.

The spindle of the spool 40 is rotatably journalled in the frame member 43 and is rotatably driven in the known manner by a belt (not shown) which presses against the whorl 44 of the spindle.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the schematic diagram of the motor circuit shows one embodiment of a circuit for accomplishing the functions above described. In this schematic diagram power is supplied across lines L1 and L2. The circuit will be described with respect to the operation of the machine in its various phases beginning with the raising of the arm 11 into operative engagement of its cam follower 14 with the cam 13.

In the position of the block 22 shown in FIG. 1, the normally closed limit switch31 is open because of engagement of the disc 38 with the switch button 36. Limit switch 31 has two ganged switch members, one of which is designated by the numeral 31 and the other which is designated by the numeral31 in FIG. 2. The function of the switch member 31 will be described hereinafter.

To energize-the reversible motor 27 and move the block 22 to. the right as the machine is viewed in FIG. 1, the lift switch button 34 is pressed. This momentarily closes the normally open lift switch 45. This completes a circuit through conductor 46, electrically operated timer 47, solenoid 48, conductor 49, switch 45 and .con-.

ductor 50. The solenoid 48 is the solenoid of relay switchv 51 having switch blades 52, 53 and 54. The position of the switch blades 52-54 when solenoid 48 is not energized is shown in full lines while the positionv of the switch blades when the solenoid isenergizedis shown in dotted lines.

The lower switch of the relay 51 operates a holding circuit for keeping the solenoid 48 and the timer 47 energized after the operator releases. pressure on the lift button 34, whereby the switch 45 opens. Thisholding circuit comprises conductor, 46, timer 47, solenoid 48, conductor 55, switch blade 54, which isfnow in contact with relay contact56, conductor 57 and conductor 50.

Simultaneously, the motor 27 is energized by a circuit through conductor 46, conductor 58, the switch blade 52 of the upper switch of relay 51, which blade is..in contact with relay contact'59, conductor 60, a closed relay switch 61, conductor 62, switch blade 53, which is in contact with relay contact 64 and conductor 65.

Switch contact 31 is open when the motor 27' begins to rotate, but closes immediately upon movement of the block 22 away from the switch 31. The closing of the switch 31- completes acircuit through conductors 46 and 58, switch contact 31, conductor 66, electrically operated timer 67, solenoid68, the temporarily closed switch 45 and conductor 50. Upon energizing the solenoid 68, ,the switches of relay 69 are moved to their lower positions.

The positions of the switch blades 70, 71 and 72 of the.

relay 69 are shown in full lines in FIG. 2 when the relay is not energized and in dotted lines when the relay 68 is energized.

When the solenoid 68 is energized, the lower switch of relay 69 moves from an open position to close a circuit across switch blade 72 by contact of the switch blade 72 withthe lower contact'73 of the relay 69. The middle and upper switches ofrelay 69 move to an open contact position. The lower switch closes a holding circuit for the solenoid 68 and the electrically operated timer 67 by a circuitpassing through solenoid 68 as previously described, conductor 49, conductor 74, switch blade 72, conductor 75 and conductor 50. The timer 67 and solenoid 68 remain energized when the momentary contact switch 45 opens;

The electrically operated timer 47 contains'a normally closed, time operated switch which remains closed under time control for a period sufficient to allow the ring 2 to raise the winding position of the filaments or yarns from the waste wind cylinder 41 (FIG. 1) to the winding position 42. The time switch in the timer 47 is set so that the switch opens when the yarns or filaments wind about portion 42 of the spool. The opening of the switch in timer 47 breaks a circuit for the solenoid 48 of relay 51 and the switch blades 52-54 return to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 2. This breaks the circuit of the motor 27 and it stops. The spindle 24 and the block 22 moving therealong, likewise, stop.

The timer 67 runs simultaneously with the timer 47 and continues to run after the time switch in timer 47 opens. The time switch in timer 67 remains closed for a length of time past the time at which the switch in timer 47 opens sufficient to prrovide the desired number of transfer tail windings on the portion 42 of the spindle. Then the timer switch in timer 67 opens, deenergizing the circuit through timer 67 and solenoid 68 of the relay 69. The switch blades 70-72 then return to the positions shown in full lines in FIG. 2.

The motor 27, which was temporarily deenergized during the lapsed period of time, adjusted by the overlap between the opening of the timer switches in timers 47 and 67, is again energized to rotate in the same direction as before by a circuit completed through conductors 46 and 58, limit switch contact 31', conductor 76, switch blade 70, conductors 77 and 78, closed relay switch 61, conductor -62, relay switch 61, conductor 79, switch blade 71 and conductors 80 and 50. The motor continues to run until the disc 38 operates switch contact 37 and opens limit switch 32, thereby breaking the motor circuit. The ring 2 then traverses up and down around the spindle to form the winding 40 in the manner previously described. The motor 27 and the mechanism driven thereby remain idle with the block 22 positioned adjacent the bearing 26.

Should the operator desire to deactivate the twist winding, he presses lower button 35 thereby closing the normally open temporary contact switch 81. This completes a circuit across the power supply lines L1 and L2 through conductors 82 and 83, switch 81, conductor 84, the solenoid 85 of the relay 86 and conductor-s 87 and 88. Simultaneously, a circuit is completed through the solenoid 89 of relay 90, which is wired in parallel with the solenoid 85 by conductors 91 and 92. This opens the normally closed switches 61 and 61 of the relay 90 to cut out the electrical circuit previously described for raising the arm 11. When the solenoid 89 is energized, the switches 61 and 61' are in the open position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.

With respect to relay 86, the switch blades 93, 94 and 95 are in the position shown in full lines when the solenoid 85 is not energized and are in the position shown in dotted lines when the solenoid is energized. The lower switch of relay 86 completes a holding circuit to keep the solenoid 85 energized, after temporary contact switch 81 opens upon release of the button 35 by the operator by means of a circuit through conductors 82 and 96, the normally closed limit switch 31, switch blade 95, conductors 97 and 98, solenoid 85 and conductors 87 and 88. When the solenoid 85 is energized, the switch blades 93 and 94 move to their closed position to complete a circuit to the motor 27 of opposite polarity to that previously described through conductors 82, 96 and 99, limit switch 31, switch blade 94, conductors 100 and 101, switch blade 93 and conductor 102. The motor 27 continues to rotate and drive the threaded spindle 24 until the block 22 has moved to a position where its disc 38 touches the contact 36 of the limit switch 31. This opens the limit switch 31 and its ganged contact 31' to deenergize the motor circuit and stop the motor. Solenoids 85 and 89 are simultaneously deenergized, and the relay switches return to their home position. The ganged contact 31 of limit switch 31 is used to open a circuit which would otherwise be normally completed across the motor 27 through conductors 46, 58 and 76, switch blade 70, conductors 77 and 78, relay switch 61, 61', conductors 62 and 79, switch blade 71 and conductors and 50. Without the switch contact 31', this circuit would cause the motor to rotate in a direction whereby the arm 11 would. immediately begin to raise after it had reached its lowermost position. 4 A counter 103, which counts the number of up and down strokes of the ring bench 1 and closes a temporary contact switch 104, may be utilized to advantage to auto matically terminate the winding on the spindle after the desired volume of winding is obtained. The temporary closure of contact 104 completes a circuit through conductors 82, 105 and 106 and switch 104 to energize solenoids and 89 and close the circuit through motor 27 in the same manner as occurs by the closure of the temporary contact switch 81. This causes the motor 27 to rotate the threaded spindle 24 in a direction to move the block 22 toward the bearing 25 and thereby lower the arm 11 to its lowermost nonoperating position.

As compared to the known machines, the shifting and switching device proposed has the advantage, besides those mentioned at the outset, that the operations otherwise ordinarily separate are combined in it, especially the advantages that the initial winding can always, in view of its position and quantity, be precisely determined, even with use of different types of spools.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A control mechanism for a ring bench of a ring twist machine having a disengageable drive mechanism for raising and lowering the ring bench during twistwinding by said machine, which control mechanism comprises a reciprocatable control member driven with a drive means including a reversible electric motor, means operatively connecting said control member with said drive mechanism for lowering the ring bench to a position wherein said drive mechanism is disengaged when said control member is moved in one direction by said drive means upon operation of said motor in one direction of rotation and for restoring the engagement of said drive mechanism when said control member is moved in the opposite direction by said drive means upon operation of said motor in the opposite direction of rotation, and means in the electric circuit of said motor for temporarily breaking and then automatically closing the motor circuit during the movement of said control member in said opposite direction to provide a small transfer tail winding just prior to the initiation of the main twist winding by said ring twist machine.

2. In a ring twist machine having a ring bench which is raised and lowered about a rotatably driven spool by a mechanical linkage and a disengageable power drive there for, a control mechanism comprising a threaded spindle, means including a reversible electric motor for rotatably driving said spindle, a control block threadedly mounted on said spindle and movable therealong upon rotation of said spindle, means coacting between said control block and said mechanical linkage for lowering said ring bench to a position below the normal traverse range of the ring bench and for disengaging the power drive and said mechanical linkage to stop traverse movement of the ring bench upon driving said spindle in one direction by said reversible motor, said power drive and mechanical linkage being restored into engagement upon driving said spindle in the opposite direction, and control means in said means for rotatably driving said motor for temporarily stopping the rotation of said spindle during the restoration of said disengaged power drive and mechanical linkage.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said control means is in the electrical circuit of said motor.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein there is a limit switch operable by said control block at each end of the path of travel of said control block on said spindle, and said limit switches are in the electrical circuit of said 'motor'and deactivate said motor when operated by said control block.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said control means is in the electrical circuitof said motor and comprises time operated" relays which sequentially open and then close'the' motor circuit during the restoration of said disengaged power drive and mechanical linkage.

6. The combination of 'claim 2 wherein there is a counting mechanism which operates a switch after a predetermined number of traverses of said ring bench by said mechanical linkage, said switch closing a control circuit to cause-said motor to operate and move said control block into coacting engagement with the mechanical linkage and lower the ring bench to a position wherein th power drive and mechanical linkage are disengaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,564 Elvin et al Dec. 16, 1947 2,503,099 Culbreath Apr. 4, 1950 2,798,356 Christiansson July 9, 1957 

1. A CONTROL MECHANISM FOR A RING BENCH OF A RING TWIST MACHINE HAVING A DISENGAGEABLE DRIVE MECHANISM FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE RING BENCH DURING TWISTWINDING BY SAID MACHINE, WHICH CONTROL MECHANISM COMPRISES A RECIPROCATABLE CONTROL MEMBER DRIVEN WITH A DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID CONTROL MEMBER WITH SAID DRIVE MECHANISM FOR LOWERING THE RING BENCH TO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID DRIVE MECHANISM IS DISENGAGED WHEN SAID CONTROL MEMBER IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION BY SAID DRIVE MEANS UPON OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR IN ONE DIRECTION OF ROTATION AND FOR RESTORING THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID DRIVE MECHANISM WHEN SAID CONTROL MEMBER IS MOVED IN THE 